"I write because I find humor in the absurdities of daily life. Sometimes I feel sadness too, and I find I can write my tears away. I write when I'm angry and feel I must right a wrong. I write when I'm touched and want others to see beauty and gentleness. I write, as many others do, because I must." -Elaine Fantle Shimberg

Giordano's World Without Strangers Music Festival Featured Popular Philippine Bands to Celebrate Music, Love, and Life as One

Last Friday became an extraordinary day for the music lovers who flocked to the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati as they were treated to a free-for-all festival featuring 15 local bands. The eight-hour event, hosted by Boys Night Out, sizzled with upbeat tunes from various local bands.

Rico Blanco performing World Without Strangers

Giordano Philippines' World Without Strangers Music Festival started right after lunch. Fans enjoyed being treated to numbers by Yolanda Moon, Hidden Nikki, Maude, Cygnet, Join The Club, Autotelic, Kala, Taken by Cars, and Techy Romantics.

Gracenote

I arrived around 5PM and still got to catch performances by Gracenote, Up Dharma Down, Franco, Urbandub, Callalily, and Sponge Cola. Let me just mention that my male blogger friends barely took their eyes off the very pretty b, vocalist of Gracenote, while she was on stage. And then, she had a hot duet with Kean Cipriano of Callalily which made the crowd go even wilder.

Eunice and Kean

Kean, of course, elicited a lot of screams from the hundreds of girls in the audience when it was time for his band to perform.

Yael Yuzon of Sponge Cola

Yael Yuzon, vocalist of Sponge Cola, likewise got the crowd roaring especially when he was carried by the event's security men so he could get closer to those who were at the back of the fenced in area. It was so sweet to spot his wife, Karylle, taking photos and videos of her husband while he delighted his fans.

Karylle capturing her husband on camera

The final artist to perform was music icon Rico Blanco, Giordano Philippines' latest brand ambassador. For the first time, I got to listed to his latest single, World Without Strangers, which is Giordano's running credo. The light and upbeat tone made for a really catchy song with great lyrics. It is about a world where there is no class or cultural divide; a world where everyone is bonded by a familial tie.

Rico Blanco

According to Rico, “A world without strangers is a borderless one where people walk hand in hand and celebrate life as one.” The song features Rico's familiar signature singing style, which puts a Filipino stamp on the song and yet remains relatable to everyone, anywhere in the world. Watch this official lyric video so you can sing along with it and appreciate the beautiful photos used to make it.

In addition to the musical treats, winners of the Giordano Statement Tee Design Contest were also recognized during the festival. The top 10 designers are Gino Jardinico, Timmy Joy Raymundo, John Angelo Tan, Ivan Marc Robinson, Nadine Encarnacion, Benedict Lim, John Francis Pasicolan, Katherine Francisco and Cathleen Kay Bayani, whose designs for both male and female categories were chosen. Their creations revolved around the World Without Strangers theme and will be released in Giordano stores by the end of July.

Urbandub

As Giordano rallies for a world without strangers, 12 individuals were also recognized during the festival who have contributed to creating that ideal world. The awardees, called World Without Strangers Citizens, range from social workers to artists, from writers to taxi drivers.

Bea Lim, Giordano Philippines’ Vice President for marketing expressed, “We are proud to recognize our first batch of World Without Strangers Citizens. They deserve this recognition because they are doing their share to build a world without strangers, and in doing so have inspired others.”

Who is:

I am a contributing writer to various Philippine print and online publications. I blog because I enjoy writing about other topics that are not assigned by my editors. I'm a mom of four boys and wife to a man I consider my bestest friend in the world.

"I write because I find humor in the absurdities of daily life. Sometimes I feel sadness too, and I find I can write my tears away. I write when I'm angry and feel I must right a wrong. I write when I'm touched and want others to see beauty and gentleness. I write, as many others do, because I must." -Elaine Fantle Shimberg